MUNAR REELECTED TO PRESIDENCY

By Lois Jones MARIA Antónia Munar was yesterday elected president of the Council of Majorca for the third consecutive term of office, with the support of 16 votes made by Partido Popular representatives and three from her own party, the UM, Majorca Union party. Munar used the occasion to repeat her request to central government for more investment in the Balearics. In her inaugural speech, she was anxious to convey “the message that Majorcan people have been wanting to get home to the new government on the Islands. “That is to take maximum advantage of the fact that the party now in power in the Balearics is the same as that holding office in Spanish central government.” This dual opportunity inspired the Union Majorca president to refer to the present term of office as “the legislature of solutions”. To emphasize this direction of policy, she highlighted the need to “obtain all the State funding for investment purposes that is ours by right”. Munar also insisted on the need to “establish a population ceiling for the island”, “the final approval of the Island's Territory Plan” and to “strengthen our points of reference” such as “our sense of identity as a people” in Majorcan society. The speech given by the president of the Council of Majorca concluded the new constitution's opening ceremony which had begun with the tabling of an “Age Committee”, attended by the oldest councillor, the ex-mayor of Palma, Joan Fageda, and the youngest, the Partido Popular spokesman in the island's institution, Fernando Rubio who is 24 years old. Prior to the final appointment of the Council president, only two candidates had been formally proposed, Maria Antónia Munar for Union Majorca and Francina Armengol for the National Socialist Party. Munar was re-elected with the support of 19 votes, whilst Armengol only had the backing of the nine members of her party because the Majorcan Socialists and the United Left/Green party coalition abstained. Events took a further step forward with the presentation to the new president of the baton of authority and badge that distinguishes her as leader of the government in Majorca. The handover, attended by Balearic president Jaume Matas, was conducted by ex-mayor Fageda and Munar accepted, visibly moved.